Springtime Snow

I love snow storms in the spring. Coming from Pittsburgh, PA, saying that is practically taboo. Most of my fellow Pittsburghers see April snow as some sort of curse. Everyone gets excited by the first snow of the year, usually in mid-November. Enthusiasm for snowy weather sticks around through December as everybody hopes for a "White Christmas." Snow is fun in January and tolerated in February, but by the time March rolls around, the sight of snow sends most people running inside and slamming their doors. If there is even a hint of snow in April, it is as though the world is over and they might as well lock themselves inside and never come out. Every few years, a snow storm will hit at the end of March or beginning of April. While everyone else is practically moved to tears in these instances, wondering what exactly is keeping spring so tied up, I always get very excited. In my mind, if it's going to be cold, it might as well be snowing.
I love love love snow. At any time of year, no matter how much snow there has already been. Ironically, I hate being cold but I am willing to stand outside in 8 degree wind chills if it's snowing. I'm not sure why, but I think snow is the happiest thing in the whole world. It is soft and fluffy and every single flake is unique and beautiful. How could anyone not love snow? It provides countless hours of entertainment. Whether sled riding, building snow igloos and snowmen, skiing or making snow angels, there is nothing quite as innocent and natural as playing outside in the snow.
I think I love it so much because it is simple. What is more simple than something that provides happiness and entertainment that literally falls from the sky? So why argue when the last snow of the season comes in April? I know people are sick of being cold, but if they could just find the excitement inside of them saved from that first November snowfall, I think they would realize how wonderful a spring snowstorm is.

Livin La Vida Ricky

I love me some Ricky Martin.

Yes, there is something about his perfectly chiseled chin and beautiful smile that gets me all giddy inside. His dashing good looks are complemented by his talent as a singer and songwriter. Okay, so he doesn't write all of his songs by himself, but he tries and that's all that matters.

My love affair with the international pop icon began when I was in 6th grade and "Livin La Vida Loca" was all the rage. I could not deny his gyrating hips and starry eyes. And of course, everytime I listened to the song, I totally believed it was written for me. I mean, how could it have not been?

I had all of his CDs, t-shirts, posters, keychains and treasured them dearly. I would also cut out any and every picture I could find of him and paste it to my diary. I was such a cool kid.

And when I began listening to his Spanish languages CDs (read: every other CD before his American debut), I totally wished I was of Latin decent. lol. Yes, that's right. I totally wanted to be a sexy Latina lover to snag the perfect Latino. This is of course, despite my father's strong insistance that Ricky loved boys and not girls. I totally refused to believe it. And even if it were true if he would only have to take one look at me and it would be a done deal.

While my friends had their crazy fixation on boy band phenomenons Backstreet Boys and 'Nsync, I had eyes for one man and one man only.

Ricky was also was my first. The first popular music performer that I saw in concert of course. My aunty bought me tickets to see my love in person. We never got as close as we should have, but all the way up from the nosebleed seats (and through a pair of binoculars) I could see the ant that was Ricky Martin, the man I was destined to marry. I screamed as much as my pubescent lungs would allow and nearly fainted.

Since then, I've grown up and have learned to hide my undying devotion to the man who shook his hips at and for me. It's not exactly the most impressive watercooler conversation topic.

Recently, the Roman Catholic Church publically condemed him for adopting two children from a surrogate mother who just so happens to be his cousin. But they can stop sipping their haterate. He's beautiful and totally ready to be a loving father. And maybe, he needs a loving mother or at least a nanny to watch over his also beautiful children. And I have a feeling I just might be the right girl for the job.

Run, Eliza, Run

I'm an avid runner and I really love it. This is a recent development in my life. I, like most people, used to hate to run. In high school, I remember during field hockey season, every Monday my coach would require us to do a timed two-mile. If I were to look at my attendance records, Mondays would be my most frequent mental health days.

It was the start of college when I really developed this love of running. I think its cause I don't have to do it anymore that I really love it now. I can just throw on my jogging shoes at any hour of the day and run for however long I want, wherever I want. I find it to be a completely liberating experience, knowing I have no path mapped out in front of me, no one to tell me where to go. I find I can think more when I'm running. My mind is free to wander where ever it wants. No one is there to distract me or tell me I'm wrong.

The obsession began with just a few miles every day or every other day. Once around campus was my route. Before I knew it, the few miles turned into 8 or 9 miles a day. My distance became a bit of an obsession.

Running has many advantages for me. Not only is it advantageous for me physically, I also find it to be mentally helpful. Whenever I'm stressed or angry, going to for a run is my outlet.

Now a lot of people run, I know. Some people say they enjoy too, but without a pair of running shoes, I think I might just self-destruct. For those of you who hate running, I suggest you stop viewing it as a chore. Try running by the beach, or on a trail. Go to a place that is visually stimulating, and you might just realize that running is in no way a chore, but instead a great way to enjoy the outdoors. If you can't run outside, and you have to use a treadmill, try making a great playlist on your Ipod or mp3 player. This will also make the experience enjoyable.

Many people say they dislike running because it is boring. I say, you just don't know how to run. Mix it up. Sprint for a few seconds, jog for few, walk for a few. Maybe try sprinting during the chorus of a song or sprinting at every stop sign. Also, try getting a running buddy. Every week my sister and I go run at Santa Monica. We find it is a great time to catch up with each other.

Running for most is a dreadful task. For me, it's the best part of my day. Everyday I spend at least one hour running. I have found ways to keep it exciting and I think if people take my advice, they will also discover how truly enjoyable running can be.

J'aime France!

although it seems everyone today in america hate france, it's culture and it's people, i happen to be obsessed with it! j'aime tous les trucs francais!

in 6th grade i had to make the decision between taking french and spanish. i figured i couldn't roll my r's so i picked french. i had a lot of people question my decision because they thought what practically could french have in my life? clearly spanish is the second language in the united states and i should have taken it...but i do not regret the choice to take french.

after about 7 years of different french classes, sadly i am still not fluent. but, i have learned enough about the french culture to want live there for the rest of my life. i feel once i live in paris or the cote d'azur... i'll become fluent.

now there are a few specific aspects of the french culture i have come to love and appreciate over the years. as of now, with the current situation in the media, dominated by politics, i happen to be obsessed with their president nicolas sarkozy and his wife of less than a year, carla bruni. it always amazes me that people believe that france is so foreign and different than the united states. as its president has been married 3 times and his current wife is a pop singer! i think americans need to realize sarkozy is an ally of the united states, not an enemy.

anyways, i don't want to get political in this blog. so i'll get to another reason france is great...it's cinema. i'm a cinema minor and some of the greatest films come from france, in my opinion. the renoir epic "la grande illusion" starring jean gabin and eric von stroheim (sp?) should be seen by more americans. i know it is hard to sit through a foreign film but it is so well made and should be re-released in american theatres more often. another one of my favorite films is called "le jeu du cons" or "the dinner game." a very very dark comedy that could have been made by apatow and co. if you have a wicked sense of humor this movie is def. for you. and also i mean the cannes film festival. the most reknowned festival in the world and is in one of the most beautiful settings in the world. along the croisette, what's better than a non-stop week of partying with great films, movie-stars and great beaches? je ne sais pas!

politics and cinema are great exports from france but the country itself has a great history of its own. i've taken several classes on euro history and one on modern french history and france's story from monarchy to modern republic is a great one. they have some of the greatest figures in all of history. hello!! louis xiv and napoleon. without louis we would never have the great palace of versailles, merci france pour le roi soleil. and yes i know he was a horrible person who bankrupted the country and starved his people but versailles is a marvel.

yes, i know. i've used some french in this blog. i can't help it. it's one of the most beautiful languages in the world and at the olympics is still the other language the announcer speaks besides engligh and the host country's language. french is a dipolmatic language and i hope it doesn't die. more people should speak it to understand it's beauty. i try to speak it as often as possible. it usually gets fused with english forming mine and my friends favorite language...franglais. you say as much as you know in french and fill in english words for the rest! oui, c'est tres cool! et cool est un mot en francais.

oui, beautiful like the country itself. from the great wine fields in the north (burgandy and champagne) to the great palaces to the cote d'azure (the blue coast)---france has many sites to see. i know that paris is still the number one tourist destination in the world, it represents l'amour. but i don't think americans appreciate how great the rest of the country is. i have never had a problem in france and i totally don't speak the language fluently. i find if i am a tourist, an american tourist, they treat me just as well as any other person there.

j'espere que i've convinced some to understand why france is so great. i've barely named any reasons at all. all i know, is that i've become immersed in it's great culture ever since i started taking the lanuage in 7th grade and i've never looked back. vive la france!

c'est trop dommage qu'il est impossible pour moi d'ecrire tous cette blog en francais :(
there are def. some grammar problems in that sentence, o well.

ps i forgot to mention food! obvi france is known for their amazing cuisine, i mean who doesn't love crepes? je ne sais pas!!!

ONA assignment, due in class September 18

Last night's lecture notes, a link to the HTML tutorial, and a link to the ONA assignment have been added to the class wiki.

to catch a credible journalist

Let's face it- When was the last time you saw a special investigative piece that wasn't hosted by Chris Hansen?

The biggest problem facing young journalists today is quality. 

Instead of fulfilling their obligation to educate and inform the public, many news organizations serve us with commercialized fare. Out with the foreign bureaus and investigative pieces, more room for celebrities, sports and weather.

The Los Angeles Times, once of the most well-respected papers in the nation, now reads like a supermarket tabloid as opposed to an esteemed paper.

Staff cutbacks have made it increasingly difficult for papers to maintain widespread coverage. With their focus now on profit as opposed to public interest, news organizations are desperately searching for ways to make revenue online and increase circulation. 

The most popular news program airs on comedy central- not cnn. Steve Colbert and John Stewart have shown Americans that news, itself, can be a form of entertainment.  People want to be entertained, and in order to keep viewers tuned in, the quality of journalism has suffered. Britney Spear's latest stint in rehab is the top story on ABC and E!

Jennifer Smith is a print journalism major at the University of Southern California. She enjoys drinking soy vanilla lattes, wearing brightly colored cotton clothing, and playing with her golden retriever.

I think I can, I think I can, I...thought I could

All journalism students alike will have been faced with the same quintessential first-day-of-class ice breaker.

"Why do you want to be a journalist?"

Last Wednesday, in two of my journalism classes a resounding number of my classmates responded with, "I thought I wanted to be a ________ reporter, but..."

In the span of just eight hours I'd met 30 journalism students, around 80 percent of whom no longer wanted to be reporters.

It seems a variety of factors -- unwanted mandatory classes, grim professors, the equally grim reality of the shrinking profession -- have managed to push these students to the edge. Some believed they weren't cut out for journalism any more. Others planned on pursuing more financially stable careers. Others yet were going to travel different literary paths with their writing talents.

Perhaps the biggest challenge facing young journalists today is simply themselves. The aforementioned factors may have been a force that started the push but essentially the students themselves decided to jump away from their one-time aspiration. They convinced themselves they weren't meant for the media field, and/or vice versa.

Heck, after giving things a little (honest) thought, even I joined the bandwagon.

"Hi, my name is Allison and I thought I wanted to be a sports reporter or a foreign correspondent, but now I'd rather take my chances on the street in a box with my name on it."

Here's to one more year of journalism curricula, and hoping to restore a little faith in myself.



Allison Hong is (biding her time as) a print journalism major at the University of Southern California. She spends her days reading Reuters' Oddly Enough stories and trying to catch episodes of ESPN's Around the Horn.